Definition of constable. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A common misconception about constables is that they are a part of the county sheriff's office. The title was imported to the monarchies of medieval Europe, and in many countries developed into a high military rank and great officer of State (e.g. The biggest difference between the two, however, is that constables generally oversee smaller towns and communities. Did you know… We have over 200 college 's' : ''}}. Police constable (abbreviated PC) is the lowest police rank in India, followed by head constable.
However, in Arizona, a constable is an officer of the county justice courts. Thus the head of most police forces is a chief constable, volunteer officers of any rank are known as special constables and some police forces have the word "Constabulary" in their name. By extension, the constable was also the "strong arm" of the court (i.e., of the common law), marking the basic role of the constable that continues into the present day. To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page. The rank is more or less equal to a Private (rank), Private 1st class (rank) and Lance corporal (rank) but higher than the rank "menig" which literally translates into "private" and only applies to drafted soldiers. [2][18] The West European term "constable" itself was adopted, via the Normans, as konostaulos in the Komnenian and Palaiologan periods, when it became a high military office of dignity. Even today, there is a Constable of the Tower of London. In 2003, the ranks "politikonstabel", "politioverkonstabel" and "politibetjent" were renamed "politibetjent 1", "politibetjent 2" and "politibetjent 3", where "politibetjent 1" is the entry-level rank for a policeman and most junior rank of the police service. As the office of Constable is independent of any municipal or state jurisdiction, and not integrated into any judicial district, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court defines the incumbents as "indepen… Services. Their jurisdiction is much smaller than that of a sheriff. Their jurisdiction can vary from statewide to county/parish and local township boundaries based on the state's laws. Constable—officer in a beat patrol; PCs wear no insignia other than the unique identification (UI) number. Every prison officer while acting as such shall have all the powers, authority, protection and privileges of a constable. Get access risk-free for 30 days, Upon being sworn in, each officer starts at the rank of constable and is required to undergo a two-year probationary period.